Research Report On Agile Assessment Solutions

BOX- 1

This paper explores the impact that traditional and agile methods of project management have on the realisation of successful project outcomes within the context of a difficult project environment characterised by VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) elements. While the study's findings are generally helpful, there are some areas in which they differ from the author's and others in which they are supported.

Points of Agreement:

Environmental Impact on Project Success:

The study does a fantastic job of highlighting the risks that environmental factors like uncertainty, ambiguity, volatility, and technological complexity pose to a project's success (de Moura et al., 2023). This fits well with the conventional wisdom that outside influences significantly affect a project's outcome.

Importance of Adaptability:

The findings stress the significance of tailoring project management strategies to specific contexts. Since it's possible that there isn't a single, universal answer to the problems plaguing projects, and since adaptability is crucial to success, this makes sense.

Moderation by Agile in Volatile Environments:

The paper's observation that agile approaches help lessen the toll that volatility takes on project success is in line with the agile methodology's guiding principles, which stress nimbleness and responsiveness to change.

Points of Challenge:

Oversimplification of Project Management Methods:

The text has a tendency to oversimplify the differences between traditional and agile methods of project management. These approaches exist on a spectrum in practice, with many businesses using hybrid methods that combine elements of both to meet the needs of specific projects (Malik et al., 2020). The complexity of project management in the real world may be too great to be captured by a simple binary classification.

Lack of Consideration for Organizational Culture:

This article does not delve deeply into the ways in which a company's culture can affect the approach it takes to project management. When there is a mismatch between the organization's culture and the chosen approach, it might have a negative effect on the project's success.

Limited Exploration of Agile's Limitations:

Even if the paper hints that agile methodologies can mitigate the effects of volatility, it does not dive extensively into the limitations of agile, such as whether it is relevant to highly regulated industries or projects with stringent compliance requirements.

Generalization of Findings:

It's likely that the study's findings don't generalise because they were generated from a specific context. The article glosses over certain key factors that contribute to a project's success, but they must be taken into account. The size of the project, type of business, and stakeholder expectations are all things to think about.

BOX- 2

1. Picture of the author:

1. Kent Beck is a staunch supporter of the Scrum methodology.
2. When compared to other Agile frameworks, Scrum stands out for its iterative and incremental approach to software development. It is based on roles, processes, and artefacts that facilitate collaboration amongst teams to create superior software. The agile framework facilitates such teamwork. Some of the roles and ceremonies that make up Scrum are the Sprint Planner, the Daily Standup Facilitator, the Sprint Reviewer, and the Sprint Reflector (Lowell, 2023). The Product Owner and the Development Team are two more important roles and rituals. The framework encourages a willingness to change and evolve as well as a dedication to continuous improvement.
3. Scrum works best for projects when the requirements are not completely defined at the outset and may change as the project progresses. Scrum is a methodology that has been linked to Kent Beck. Although it was first intended for use in software development projects, its usefulness has since been shown to extend to many other domains. Scrum is best for projects that can benefit from regular reviews and changes. This allows groups to adapt to ever-changing market conditions and meet the specific needs of each of their clients (Belling, 2020). It works well in situations when there is a constant need for feedback and discussion among team members and when the task can be broken down into small, manageable pieces (Sprints). Scrum is favored by many Agile teams across various industries because it promotes open communication, clear project goals, and early delivery of high-value products.

BOX-3

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Agile frameworks Scrum can be applied in the first case. The table shows that this alignment is accomplished because of the method's use of two-week sprint cycles and Scrum-specific roles like Product Owner and Scrum Master (Ormeño Zender & García de Soto, 2020). Scrum is a framework for agile software development that emphasizes small, incremental changes, well-defined roles, and short iterations.

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Case 2 seems to fit in with the Kanban approach to agile development. The data in the table, which addresses such topics as ensuring a constant stream of work, capping the number of active tasks, and mapping out the workflow on a board, lend credence to this assessment. These are the cornerstones of the Kanban approach, whose overarching goal is to boost productivity.

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Example 1 (using Scrum) demonstrated a 20% improvement in quality. Scrum's iterative and collaborative approach often leads to better communication and higher-quality deliverables, which is why it has become so popular (Coimbra et al., 2023). The early discovery and resolution of issues is aided by elements such as regular feedback loops and testing performed inside sprints.

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The second instance (Kanban) showed a 15% cut in costs. To better allocate resources and prioritise activities, reduce duplication of effort, and save money, Kanban places a premium on limiting work in progress (Ormeño Zender & García de Soto, 2020).

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In Example 1 (Scrum), 10% of the original time needed to deliver the product was saved. Scrum's time constraints on each sprint encourage urgency and predictability, leading to faster iterative releases of new features.

f- Agile techniques naturally encourage these outcomes because of their emphasis on collaboration, openness, and flexibility. Scrum's standard roles and procedures help teams stay aligned and respond quickly to any quality issues (Coimbra et al., 2023). Kanban's focus on flow and the elimination of WIP limits aids in efficient resource allocation. Both approaches prioritize ongoing improvement, which has the dual benefits of reducing project costs and accelerating progress.

BOX- 4

1. The Scrum team's Kanban board is sometimes known as a "Task Board" or "Visual Board."

1. When using a Kanban board, the leftmost column is usually designated as "To Do" or "Backlog." Any tasks or things that have not yet been started will be included here. The items in this column are listed from highest importance to lowest, with the most pressing matters being brought to the forefront first (Kanban Overview - Agile Foundations Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, Formerly Lynda.com, n.d.). It's crucial because it lets the team set priorities and ensures that the most pressing tasks get done first.
2. Individual projects or pieces of work are typically displayed on a Kanban board by means of yellow sticky notes. The task, the person or people in charge of it, and other relevant information like due dates or dependencies are often outlined in a few short sentences.
3. Sticky notes in yellow are used to set a limit on the number of notes that can be placed in the "In Progress" column to regulate the total quantity of unfinished work. In the case that the team decides they can only work on three projects at once, for instance, they can decide to limit the "In Progress" column to only three post-it notes (Kanban Overview - Agile Foundations Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, Formerly Lynda.com, n.d.). This ensures that all tasks are completed before moving on to additional responsibilities, and prevents the team from becoming overworked.
4. Scrum teams might use the Kanban board as part of a "walking the board" exercise during daily stand-up meetings. Going through each column on the board, discussing the current status of each task, and reordering them as needed is what this includes. It helps the group identify potential problems, establish a hierarchy of priorities, and verify that everything is moving along as expected.
5. In the future, you can use the Kanban board to organize your work by assigning tasks to different colors and creating a visual representation of the workflow. It can help your team set priorities, manage workload, identify bottlenecks, and keep work moving smoothly from start to finish (Kanban Overview - Agile Foundations Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, Formerly Lynda.com, n.d.). Increased productivity and better project management can result from keeping the Kanban board up to date and analyzing its data on a regular basis.

BOX-5

The core principles of the Agile Manifesto and the deployment of some Agile practices can be traced back to the influence of the Lean philosophy. The principles of "Respect for People" and "Eliminating Waste" from the Lean philosophy have been instrumental in the evolution of the Agile methodology.

Eliminating Waste:

"Simplicity, the art of maximizing the amount of work not done, is essential," reads the first principle of the Agile Manifesto.

Agile methodology encourages teams to focus on the most important tasks, eliminate those that aren't essential, and create "minimum viable products" (MVPs). This not only increases the value provided but also reduces waste (Dieste et al., 2021).

Agile Methodology:

Agile teams are driven to eliminate waste throughout the software development process by the Lean principle of continuous improvement.

Consideration for Others:

The Agile Manifesto states, "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools."

Agile Method:

In Agile, people and their connections are prioritized, with an emphasis on teamwork, transparency, and initiative.

Agile Manifesto Principle:

"Customer collaboration over contract negotiation places an emphasis on the demands of the customer and welcomes input from end users throughout the development process.

Relationships with:

Agile's focus on simplicity and getting rid of everything that isn't adding value was inspired by the "Eliminating Waste" principle of Lean.

Lean's "Respect for People" concept, which argued for a more human-centered approach, influenced Agile's "Respect for People" philosophy.

Agile is based on these Lean principles, which led to the development of methods that boost productivity, please clients, and make it easier to respond to change. As a result of their adaptability and customer-centricity in project management and product production, agile approaches have seen widespread adoption, and not just in the software development industry (Lee & Xing Qi, 2021). This exemplifies the far-reaching influence of the Lean mindset.

References

Belling, S. (2020). Agile History. Succeeding with Agile Hybrids, 39–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-6461-4_4

Coimbra, H., Cormican, K., McDermott, O., & Antony, J. (2023). Leading the transformation: agile success factors in an Irish manufacturing company. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2023.2214515

de Moura, R. L. 1, Carneiro, T. C. J. 2, & Dias, T. L. 2 1 F. I. E.-S. (2023). VUCA environment on project success: The effect of project management methods. ProQuest, 236–259. https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2023.20.3.1.en

Dieste, M., Panizzolo, R., & Garza-Reyes, J. A. (2021). A systematic literature review regarding the influence of lean manufacturing on firms’ financial performance. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 32(9), 101–121. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmtm-08-2020-0304

Kanban overview - Agile Foundations Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved October 9, 2023, from https://www.linkedin.com/learning/agile-foundations/kanban- overview?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=false&u=567

Kent Beck – Keynote Speaker. (n.d.). London Speaker Bureau. Retrieved October 9, 2023, from https://londonspeakerbureau.com/speaker-profile/kent-beck/

Lee, K. L., & Xing Qi, T. (2021). The Effect of Lean and Agile Practices on Supply Chain Operational Performance in Malaysia Manufacturing Industry. International Journal of Industrial Management, 12(1), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.15282/ijim.12.1.2021.6639

Lowell, K. R. (2023). Using the Agile Manifesto as a Framework. Future of Business and Finance, 13–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36429-7_4

Malik, M., Sarwar, S., & Orr, S. (2020). Agile practices and performance: Examining the role of psychological empowerment. International Journal of Project Management, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2020.09.002

Ormeño Zender, Y., & García de Soto, B. (2020). Use of Scrum in the rehabilitation of a commercial building in Peru. Construction Innovation, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/ci-12-2019-0140

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